Holding means for support-wire inserting device



Jan. 17, 1961 c. LE NZ ETAL HOLDING MEANS FOR SUPPORT-WIRE INSERTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 20, 1959 m 9 m N w 0 N T N E S E VZN fl mw v L w n L 7 R N MA r M R 0 Y B 0 3 in J i United States PateiitfO HOLDING MEANS FOR SUPPORT-WIRE INSERTING DEVICE Carl Lenz, Packanack, and Norman G. Johnston,

Pequannock, N .J., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., 21 corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 788,013

Claims. (Cl. 269-189) The present invention relates to a conveyor finger for a support-wire-inserting device utilized on a stem machine in the manufacture of incandescent lamps and the like and, more particularly, to an improved holding block for such a conveyor finger.

Heretofore in the manufacture of incandescent lamp stems and the like an oscillatable conveyor finger has been utilized to grip the support wire while laying in a generally horizontal position. After the support wire has been cut to the predetermined length, the conveyor finger swings 90 to the vertical position where the support wire is inserted into a glass button formed on the arbor of the lamp stem. The conveyor finger then releases the inserted support wire and while still open is retracted to the horizontal position, whereupon a new predetermined length of support wire is pushed up through the open conveyor finger preparatory for the next insertion.

The conventional oscillating conveyor finger comprises essentially an adjustable anvil disposed between notches in the end of the finger and a holding block mounted on a wire yoke extending through a longitudinal axial hole therein. The holding block is provided with hardened, wear resistant metal inserts. Because of its small size 5 x 1 x Ma") this conventional holding block is extremely expensive, is diflicult to fabricate and has a relatively short life.

In order to adjust the anvil and thus maintain the top ;of the anvil parallel to the holding block, a radius provided on the bottom of the anvil permits the anvil to rock on a like radius milled in the anvil seating slot in the conveyor finger, when a holding screw is loosened.

Because of the extremely small size of the anvil 5 x 1 x this milling operation is extremely expensive and difiicult to perform.

Currently in the manufacture of more complicated stems for incandescent lamps and the like it is necessary to carry two support wires, often of different diameters,

'in one conveyor finger. With the conventional holding block it is impossible to hold the two wires against the anvil without constant adjustment of the anvil.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difiiculties of and objections to prior art practices by the provision of an improved holding block for a conveyor finger utilized on a support-wire-inserting device.

Another object of the present invention is the provision Of'fifi improved holding block which is limitedly rotatable inythe yoke thereby adapting the'improved holding block to secure twosupport wires of different diameters in the conveyor finger.

'A'ifur'th'er object of the present invention is the pro vision of an improved holding block, the use ofwhich eliminates the necessity for any'adjustment of the anvil.

- --,'=.Still another object of the present invention is the provi'sion'bflanimproved holding block which is simple m'construc'tion thereby reducing its cost of manufacture and of maintenance.

ICC

The aforesaid objects of the present invention and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds are achieved by providing an improved holding block adapted to be secured in the yoke and limitedly rotatable with respect to the yoke thereby permitting such holding block to automatically adjust itself to secure two support wires in the conveyor finger with the same tension regardless of any variation in the diameter of such support wires. For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved holding block and associated yoke of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side-elevational view partially in section of a conveyor finger incorporating the improved holding block of the present invention and showing the conveyor finger in the open or loading position disposed horizontally on an inserting turret and with the closed vertical inserting position thereof being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal-sectional view of the holding block, holder of the conveyor finger and anvil taken along the line lII-III of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a vertical-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the holding block and yoke in the closed or wire-gripping position.

Although the principles of the present invention are broadly applicable to the inserting of any number of support wires, the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the insertion of two support wires and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described. a

With specific reference to the form of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, and referring particularly to Fig. 2, an inserting turret is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. A conveyor finger 12 (Figs. 1 and 2) is pivoted on this inserting turret It) at 14 and is shown (in the solid-line position of Fig. 2) horizontally disposed on such turret 10 in its open or support-wire-loading position.

While such open conveyorfinger 12 :is horizontally disposed on the inserting turret 10 in the open supportwire-receiving position (Figs. 2 and 3), support wires 16 and 18 are pushed up through the space between an improved holding block 22 of the present invention and an anvil 24 secured between the bifurcations in the end of a holder 21. The support wires 16 and 18 are moved to their predetermined position shown in Fig. 2 by conventional means (not shown). The bifurcated end of the holder 21 is provided with notches for use as hereinafter explained.

Referring to Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 the improved holding block 22 is a hemi-disc-like member provided with a peripheral annular groove 28. The holding block 22 has a portion of a yoke 30 wrapped around the groove 28 and shouldered inwardly at 32 beneath the right-hand portion of the holding block 22, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, to retain the holding block 22 in the yoke 30. It will be noted from a consideration of Figs. 3 and 5 that while the holding block 22 is retained in the yoke 30 such' holding block 22 is limitedly rotatable therein.

As shown in Fig. 2','the yoke 30 extends longitudinally along theiholder 21 and is pivotably mounted at 33 on 'a lever 34 which in turn is pivoted at 36' on a body 38 of the conveyor finger 12. The l'ev'ejri 34 it connected at 40 to a slide 42 which isafiixed' to e holder 21 at 44 and is slidable in the body 38, a I' v In order to secure the slide 42 in the solid-line position' shown in Fig. 2, a pawl 46 (pivoted at 48 on the body 38) is held by a compression spring 50 against a first step or shoulder 52 in the slide 42. To cause the holding block 22 to move (from the open position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to the closed positionshown in Eisn o s r t s p n. p a n p unger on a sleeve 56 is moved downwardly by conventional linkage (not shown) to engage the pawl 46, and cause the latter to move downwardly therewith, as viewed in Fig. 2. During this movement the pawl 46 slides off thev first step 52 into engagement with a second step 60. The compression spring 50 moves the holder 21, the anvil 24 and the slide 42, to the left (Figs. 1 -.-3) with attendant clockwise rotation of the lever34 and movement of the yoke 30 and holding block 22, to the right, thereby resulting in the holding block 22 almost closing on the support wires 16 and 13. This first movemea o th h ld n lo 2. d anvil 2 pr v nts t holding block 22 from damaging the support wires Y16 and 18.

Further downward movement of the operating plunger 54 then causes disengagement of the pawl 46. from the second step 60 thereby increasing the potential energy of spring 50 and permits the holding block 22 to gently hold the support wires 16 and 18 on the anvil 22 preparatory for the inserting operation which is performed after the secured support wires 16 and 1 8 are out to a predetermined length by conventional cutting means indicated generally by the reference numeral 62 in Fig. 2;.

T e f e he convey r fin e 1 nd he Se red support wires 16 and 18 are rotated 90 (in clockwise direction from the s i n po itio own in. i s 2) byconventional means indicated generally by the reference numeral 64 to insert the support wires 16 and 18 in a button 66 while in the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 2. The conveyor finger 12 is then opened by upward movementiFig. 2) of the plunger 54 into engagement with the lever 3-4. Such lever 34 is moved by the upper por tion 67 of the plunger 54 counterclockwise from the dotted-line position in Fig. 2 to a position similar to the solid-line position shown therein, thus releasing the inserted support wires 16 and 18. The conveyor finger 12 (while in the open position) is then retracted 90 in counterclockwise direction (by operation of the means 64.) to the solid-line position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the cycle is repeated.

"It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by providing an improved holding block for a conveyor finger used in conjunction with a support-wire-inserting device, which improved holding block is limitedly rotatable in the yoke thereby adapting such holding block to secure two support-wires of different diameters in the conveyor finger. The use of the improved holding block eliminates the necessity for any adjustment of the anvil. in addition, such improved holding block is simple in construction thereby reducing the cost of its manufacture and its maintenance.

As an-alternative embodiment of the present invention it is obvious that the improved holding block may be 'used where a single support wire of small diameter (i.e. .003") is to be inserted. With a conventional holding block, such block may strike an improperly positioned anvil before engaging the support wire thereby failing to hold the support wire thereagainst. The improved slightly rotatable holding block insures positive gripping of the single support wire and eliminates adjustment of the improperly positioned anvil.

While in accordance with the patent statutes one best lrnown embodiment of the present invention has been illnstrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly p qderstoodthat the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

We l- A pr yer fing r or tr n po tin a p urali y o support wires from a support-wire-receiving position to a support-wire-dispensing position, said conveyor finger comprising an anvil normally disposing in spaced relation from the support wires while the latter are in the support-wire-receiving position, a holding block for clamping said support wires between said anvil and said holding hlgs sehdnt v gd w th member-wa n means on a portion of its periphery, a member in-said memberreceiving means for supporting said holding block in pacedrelatim tram a su er-t ire ah Sa an while permitting limited relative mov ment between said holding block and said member, and drive means for providing relative movement betweensaid member and said anvil; to move said anvil and said holding block into wire-clamping engagement with said support wires, said holding blockandsaid. member having limited relative movement therebetween as said holding block moves into wire-clamping engagement with said support wires so that said holding block may position itself with respect to said support wires and clamp said support wires against said anvil regardless of any variation in the diameters of such support wires.

2. A conveyor finger for transporting a plurality of support wires from a support-wire-receiving position to a support-.wire-dispensing position, said conveyor finger comprising an anvil normally disposed in spaced relation from the support wires while the latter are in the support-wire-receiving position, a holding block for clamping said support wires between said anvil and said holding blookand provided with member-receiving means on a portion of "its. periphery, a member in said member-receiving means for supporting said holding block in spaced relation from said support wires and said anvil" while permitting said holding 'block to oscillate limitedly with respect to said member, and drive means connected to said member and said anvil for providing movement of said member and said anvil toward said support wires to move said anvil and said holding block into wireclamping engagement with said support wires, said holding block being limitedly oscillatable with respect to said member as said holding block moves into wireclamping engagement with said support wires so that said holding block may position itself with respect-to said support wires and clamp said support wires against said anvil regardless of any variation in the diameters of such support wires.

'3. A conveyor finger for transporting a plurality of support wires irom a support-wire1receiving position to a support-,wire-dispensing position, said conveyor finger mp n a anv norm y ispo e in spaced rela ih tha he u p rt re h h l e are in h pp wire-receiving position, a holding block for clampingsaid support wires between said anvil and said holding block and pro i d i a o on a P r of ts P phe y. a e e r ppe a nd s id holding block and isposed in said groove for supporting said holding block in spaced relation from said support wires and said anvil while permitting said holding block to oscillate limitedly with respect to said member, and drive means connected to said member and said anvil for providing movement of said member and said anvil toward said support wires to move said anvil and said holding block into wireclamping engagement with said support wires, said holdin lo in l mitedl esci a a ith re eat? s memb r a s d h ldigs' hle ls ree e lets i t r s support wires between said anvil and said holding block and provided with a peripheral groove and a wire-clamping portion, an elongated member wrapped around said holding block, disposed in said peripheral groove and shouldered around said wire-clamping portion for supporting said holding block in spaced relation from said support wires and said anvil while permitting said holding block to oscillate limitedly with respect to said member, and drive means connected to said member and said anvil for providing movement of said member and said anvil toward said support wires to move said anvil and said holding block into wire-clamping engagement with said support wires, said holding block being limitedly oscillatable with respect to said member as said wire-clamping portion of the holding block moves into wire-clamping engagement with said support wires so that said wire-clamping portion may position itself with respect to said support wires and clamp said support wires against said anvil regardless of any variation in the diameters of such support wires.

5. A conveyor finger for transporting a plurality of support wires from a support-wire-receiving position to a support-wire-dispensing position, said conveyor finger comprising an anvil normally disposed in spaced relation from the support wires while the latter are in the supportwire-receiving position, a hemi-disc-like holding block for clamping said support wires between said anvil and said holding block and provided with a peripheral groove and a wire-clamping portion, a member wrapped around said holding block, disposed in said groove and shouldered around said wire-clamping portion of such holding block for supporting said holding block in spaced relation from said support wires and said anvil while permitting said holding block to oscillate limitedly with respect to said member, and drive means connected to said member and said anvil for providing movement of said member and said anvil toward said support wires to move said anvil and said holding block into wire-clamping engagement with said support wires, said holding block being limitedly oscillatable with respect to said member as said wireclamping portion of the holding block moves into wireclamping engagement with said support wires so that said wire-clamping portion may position itself with respect to said support wires and clamp said support wires against said anvil regardless of any variation in the diameters of such support wires.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,397,931 Kurtz Nov. 22, 1921 2,490,120 Ellison et a1 Dec. 6, 1949 2,643,440 Flaws et al June 30, 1953 2,883,072 Louden Apr. 21, 1959 

